Prince Harry is turning 40 in 2024, which is pretty wild to contemplate. It feels like just yesterday that he was a baby nestled in his mother's arms as she exited the hospital to an array of photographers. Harry quickly grew to be a mischievous toddler and then a troublemaking teen before eventually settling in to his new life as husband of father of two. But it's always fun to take a trip down memory lane, and we've compiled some of the best throwback photos of young Prince Harry.
It's no surprise that Harry was an adorable child, but he was also quite fashionable as well, thanks to his mom Princess Diana. She always made sure her sons were dressed in the latest styles, even often coordinating their outfits with her own. Scroll through to see what Harry looked like when he was younger.
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Baby Face
Prince Harry began traveling the world when he was just a baby. Here he was pictured on the royal yacht when his mom went to Italy in 1985. When looking at photos of Harry's son Archie as a baby, it's easy to see that the two of them are nearly identical at this age. So cute!
Matching With Mom
Kate Middleton carried on Diana's love of coordinating outfits with her kids. In this photo from 1986, Diana and the kids spent some quality time together while on a trip to Majorca, Spain. She and Harry look so sweet in their matching striped outfits. Look at the left side of the photo to see that William was also dressed in the same pattern.
Furry Friend
The royals are well-known dog lovers, but apparently the Wales family also had a pet rabbit at some point. When Harry was just about 2 years old, he was pictured at his dad's Highgrove country house playing with a fluffy bunny. Prince Charles observed carefully to make sure his son was being gentle.
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Taking a Stroll
During the same Highgrove photo shoot with the bunny rabbit, Harry was also captured exploring the grounds with his dad. It's no surprise that the royal home had magnificent gardens, but we also spy a pool to the left. Harry was probably too young to use it when this photo was taken, but it must have made a fun summer home when he got a little older.
Playing Outside
Even if Harry couldn't yet swim at Highgrove, he and his brother could use their swings and slide. If we didn't know this was a photo of a royal family, they would just look like any other kids playing with their mom at the park on a Sunday morning.
Off to School
The whole Wales family was photographed to mark Harry's first day of nursery school in 1987. The 3-year-old even indulged the paparazzi with a little wave as he held tightly to his Thomas the Tank Engine book bag. (How very '80s of him.) Diana's boys really were the cutest children.
Time With Grandma
Queen Elizabeth played an active role as grandmother when she wasn't busy being the monarch. But it wasn't like she was playing video games with them or anything. She usually just brought them along to enjoy her own hobbies — perhaps hoping the boys would pick up the same interests. In this photo from 1987, the Queen is pictured with both William and Harry at a polo match.
Rainy Day
The Wales boys were fixtures at many polo matches because their dad played the sport up until 2005, according to the Independent. On this particular day, it was pouring, so they're both dressed in their rainy day best. Will did a great job holding the giant umbrella to shield himself and Harry.
Coordinating Brothers
Even when Princess Diana didn't dress to match her sons, she liked for them to at least be coordinating with each other. For a military event in 1988, the princess dressed her boys in matching green shorts, knee socks, and blazers with blue ties. Don't they look like little businessmen?
Addressing the Paparazzi
Adult Harry has a very strained relationship with the paparazzi now, but kid Harry wasn't always a big fan either. There are several photos of him sticking his tongue out at photographers when he was a child. We bet he wishes he could still do that sometimes.
Wedding Best
When Charles Spencer, Princess Diana's brother, got married in 1989, he picked Harry to be a pageboy at the wedding. The toddler doesn't look too thrilled to be all dressed up for his uncle's big day, but Harry sure is adorable in his giant hat and big maroon sash.
Spiffy Suit
When Prince Harry was 5 years old, he got to join his older brother at Wetherby School. The two of them had the cutest matching gray uniforms trimmed with red. We love that Princess Diana also wore red so she would coordinate with her sons for their first day.
Little Wales Family
Diana and Charles separated a few years after their sons were born, so there actually aren't many photos of the entire family together. But we do love this one from when the boys were young. They look like a united front all holding hands. And Prince Harry is so cute in his long coat and knee socks.
Canadian Tuxedo
The "Canadian tuxedo" — aka jeans with a denim top — was a staple of the '90s. Trendsetter that she was, Diana made sure her boys sported the look on an actual trip to Canada in 1991. Little Harry looked so effortlessly cool in his denim ensemble paired with a baseball cap, belt, and Velcro shoes.
Ski Time
In the early '90s, the brothers did a lot of traveling with their mother. Harry was 6 years old when the trio went to Austria on a skiing vacation. Diana's fashion on the slopes was always on point, and her sons were just as stylish. We love Harry's yellow sunglasses.
Being a Kid
As adults, Harry and William have often reminisced about how their mother tried to give them normal childhoods as much as possible. Part of that included taking them to theme parks, where she would join them on the rides as well. We can practically hear Diana and Harry's shouts of joy through the photo.
Tragic Duty
It's devastating that Harry was so young when he lost his mother. He was just shy of 13 when he walked behind her coffin at Princess Diana's very public funeral. According to People magazine, Harry wrote in his memoir Spare, "Looking back on it now, I am very glad I was part of it."
Dorm Food
Prince Harry followed in his older brother's footsteps and attended Eton College in his teen years. The boarding school gave young Harry a chance to live without things like the royal maid service and royal chef. Instead, he learned how to make toast, just like all of his classmates.
Sporty Chic
While at Eton, Harry participated in the legendary Wall Game, said by BBC News to be one of "Britain's oldest and most violent school games." We can't get over the outfit Harry picked for the event, though. The mismatched striped socks, dirty shorts, and two-toned shirt make quite a fashion statement.
Lights, Camera, Action
In this rare photo, we got a glimpse into Harry's acting skills. He played Conrade in an Eton school performance of Shakespeare's Much Ado About Nothing. Years later, he would marry Meghan Markle, an actor with distant familial ties to Shakespeare himself, according to The Sun.
Check out our Meghan Markle page for all the latest news about Meghan, Prince Harry, and their growing family.
